Dianechef

I am totally open to any restaurant we can meet at. Chili's is the only place I know of in that area. Anybody else know of a good restaurant in Tempe that has easy access to the freeway?!? Andrea, you are VERY smart to not have told anyone. Seriously. If I could do it again, I wouldn't have said a word to anyone. Very funny about your daughter telling the people at the dance studio. Kids are too honest aren't they?!?! I am open to lunch in January and the Vegas Bash!! Sounds fun!!

Hey Andrea, Did you end up telling your mother or not?!?

That's right Terri. You live so far away! Lunch it is!!!! How does Jan. 14th look for everyone? We can meet in Tempe which should be a central location. I know there's a Chili's restaurant off of University/Mill. It's right off the 202 & pretty easy to find.

Hi Andrea! Congratulations & welcome to bandland!! I too am in AZ. I live in Gilbert. We could be close to each other!! How are you feeling?!?! I am hoping that we can get enough people together to meet for breakfast on a Saturday morning sometime in January. I have never met anyone in person who had lapband & would love to be able to talk to people face to face.

Thank you for posting this!! I had the EXACT same problem & I thought it was just me!! I also have large boobs & they started itching. I thought I was going crazy & couldn't figure it out. I had a friend who told me it was from the weight loss & that my skin reacted to it. Will our boobs ever look normal again after weight loss?!? It's a little scary to look at them!!!!

Hi Michelle! I AM SO HAPPY YOUR HOME. I love your attitude & how great you are handling this all. I too am a patient of Dr. Ortiz. I am very confused about this "stitch". Can you explain a little more? Is this a stitch that was placed in a certain place that normally isn't? Do all bandsters have this stitch placed in the same place? I am confused at how a stitch can cause erosion. I know so many people have asked the same question, but I truly don't understand!!! I'd love more info.

I am so impressed!! Congratulations! PLEASE share with us what you feel has been your success?!?! Do you work out? Count calories or just let the band do its thing?!?!? Your goals are EXACTLY what mine are. I have always told my husband that my goal is to weigh less then him. I'm gettin' there!!! I love to read these kinds of posts. They inspire me. Thanks for sharing!!

I joined Lifetime fitness too & LOVE IT!! I have felt very comfortable there. If anyone needs a little incentive to work out, I would definately encourage you to check these gyms out if you have one in your town. I look forward to working out. I am thrilled that my weight loss has been "slow". My body has time to adjust which means the chances of me ever gaining back this weight is very slim. My friend had Gastric Bypass surgery the same day that I did. She has lost 80 lbs & I am at 36 lbs. However, her skin is HANGING on her & her face looks very sunken in. I am THRILLED that I won't have any of that. This is all GOOD!!

I started doing something that has really worked & helped me in my weight loss battle. (Besides this band of course!) I am not a good calorie counter. I have too much to do & it seems like stopping to count every little nibble I took was overwhelming. But, I have been at a plateau recently & knew that I HAD to take an inventory of what was going in my mouth. I made up a chart of meals that I like & they already have the calories counted out for me. For instance, One day I drink a Protein Shake for Breakfast & then a Wendy's Chili & ceasar salad for lunch. I already caculated exactly how many calories, Protein, carbohydrates etc. is in these meals. Then, the only thing I need to count is what I eat for dinner. I can handle counting one meal!!! The next day I pick another menu of foods that I have already counted out the calories. Easy! Easy! Easy! These are all foods that I like & eat regularly. I know they're healthy & I don't have to guess anymore. Hurray! This has done wonders for me & taken all the work out of COUNTING!!! I've been at 230 for 4 weeks now. I started doing this 8 days ago & the scale now says 226. WAHOO!!! It's working. Just thought I'd share in case there are others out there who are in the same boat.

Hey Jonathon! WELCOME HOME!! Your name & face are very familiar to me because my kids go on your "Waisting Away" website all the time to play pacman. We all completely understand your situation & you are definately in good hands here. We're willing to give you a good kick in the butt too if you need it. I'm sure we all need one now & again. I have often wondered about you & how you were doing. Thanks for checking in. Hang in there. "If life were easy, it wouldn't be hard!!"

I have been a part of Curves for over 3 years. It is WONDERFUL for people who are not used to working out & getting exercise. (That was me!) The people who go are people just like us!! I was never emberassed or felt like I was in a meat market. (You know how people want to dress to impress!) I loved it for the 3 years I participated. However, I reached a point where it wasn't enough & I needed a little more. I just recently ended my contract & joined a gym with a trainer & it has made all the difference. However, I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't of joined Curves & got my foot in the door to exercising again!! Good Luck!!

Oh, I love chips & salsa!! We went to dinner the other night & I ate so much chips & salsa that I was completely stuffed before my real food ever came. I just make sure I don't keep the stuff around the house or I'd have a VERY BIG problem!! It goes down toooo easily!!! My suggestion: Get rid of the chips - FAST!! That will fix your problem.

I have to say... PB's scared me before I had the band. I kept thinking of it as a real throw up or a very large burp with lots of food coming up. For those who are pre-banded, please know that a PB is really not a big deal. It's just a small amount of slime that comes up in your mouth & nobody even knows you've had a PB except you. Now, there are moments when you are in pain, but those are not considered PB's, that's food getting stuck & it happens on a few occasions - but you learn real fast how to avoid that happening again. If the thought of PBing is holding you back from getting the band, you really have nothing to be afraid of. REALLY!! It becomes a part of life & isn't a big deal. Everyone reacts to different foods. Even the same person can eat some foods today & not tomorrow. It's a very strange thing!! Today I could not eat a tortilla. Tomorrow - who knows!?!? Good luck with your research!!

Hi wonderkidsmom!! If we met in Tempe on a Saturday at about 10 a.m. would that be convenient for you? I think Tempe is probably the most central for everyone. Where's all the other AZ Bandsters?!?! Come out! Come out!! Where ever you are!!!

Okay, I've heard from 3 of you so far who'd like to get together. Let's do it!! I live in Gilbert. Where are the rest of you?!?! I want to find a central area. Please reply with the area you live in & what day/time would work best for you. I'm thinkin' a Saturday Morning Brunch would be fun!! :mad: Gosh, I'm looking at my calendars and Nov & Dec are crazy months for me. Is everyone else as busy as I am?!? Maybe we should shoot for January. I can't wait to put a face with all the names!!

Here's some answers to the above questions.... I eat about 1500 calories/day. I always drink a Protein shake for Breakfast & then a chili & salad from Wendy's for lunch. (It really fills me up!) I know exactly how many calories, carbohydrates & fat grams are in these so I don't have to think. dinner always varies, depending on what we have going on that evening. I have been eating 3x a day. (Sometimes a snack if I'm real hungry!) I have a large Water bottle that I keep with me all day that has the exact amount of water I should drink every day. Sometimes I only get about half of it down. I really need to do better, but I just don't like having to go to the bathroom all day. :mad: I have been working out at Curves 3x a week for the past 3 months. It's only a 30 min. work out & I'm thinkin' I may need more then that!! John Q - I don't think I could go to 1000 calories a day. I get so hungry with just 1500 calories!! What are you eating & does it fill you up?! La-madam - I have heard of the 3-a-day diet but have never tried it. I love yogurt so that could be a good change for me. I have been watching you & your great success!! I am so impressed with your weight loss. When you were losing the 100 lbs., did you work out? What did you eat?!? Did you have plateaus at the beginning? Hi Kare!! I still can't believe you're as old as you say! You totally look like you could be 25. You are the work-out queen!! I am considering changing from working out at Curves to joining a "real" gym where I could work out longer & get more results. When you work out, what are you doing?!? Do you lift weights, treadmill?!? Thank you ALL for your great ideas!! I LOVE having so many suggestions & helps. I don't feel like I'm all lone in this endeavor!! I am definately going to make some changes in what I'm doing. I need to "CHANGE THE FURNITURE AROUND" as they say. I'm just not sure which furniture to put where. Or, if I should just trash all the old & bring in some new?!?! ha!

Hey Penni! I am amazed at your computer skills!! Can you help my pictures?!?! My before & after pictures are on the before & after thread, but you have to click on them to open them. I don't have a clue how to fix that. Also, I'd love to have my picture on my Avatar. What do I need to do!??! Thank you so much!!!!

Hello Vines!!! (Turtle Spokesman herself!!!) I am quite sure that those who are turtles don't want to be turtles. :mad: However, I feel like I'm going to be in the turtle category if I don't do something fast!! How has the "change up your pattern" been working for you?!? Have you found you've lost weight by doing this?!?! I'd love to know. My doctor told me 3 meals a day too, but I'm thinkin' I might try to several small meals a day & see how that goes. This Halloween candy has been the death of me!! Whipple Daddy - I am not a professional Chef but I do love to cook. I work for the Pampered Chef. We sell kitchen tools!! I've been doing it for over 9 yrs & LOVE IT!! The only problem is that the food we cook is always fattening & not too healthy. But, it sure is good!!! My other problem is that my husband is the owner of a soda pop & snack vending business. His junk food inventory is here at our house!!!!!!!!!!! I have access to any candy bar & soda pop I want at any second of the day. (Isn't that NICE!?!?!) I am proud to say I haven't had one single pop since being banded!!!! All you rabbits out there, what's your secret?!?!? I know, I know, follow the bandster rules. Is that really all there is to it!?!? I'm open to any & all suggestions.

I've read all the threads from the slow losing turtles & then read all the successes from the rappid weight losing rabbits. I am somewhere in between. I had great success in the beginning, but can't seem to get going anymore. I have stayed at the same weight for a whole month & this morning I GAINED 2 lbs!!! What the heck?!?! I'm so frustrated!! As much as I LOVE all you turtles out there, I WANT TO BE A RABBIT!!! I had my first fill 8 weeks ago & have lost only 5 lbs since. I feel restriction, but my problem is that the band doesn't restrict junk. I think I truly have no control over food!! I tried to eat broccoli yesterday & slimed it up. Then I tried some chicken. Same thing!! Then, I tried cheetos & they went down great. THIS IS WRONG!!! My band won't let me eat healthy foods, but all the junk goes down just fine. I work out 3x a week & eat healthy most of the time. (I have a few slip ups here & there, but not every day!) I am so emberassed over people asking me if I've had my surgery yet. HELLO!!! I had it 3 months ago & have lost 30 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Obviously, nobody can tell. What are you rabbits doing that works?!?! How can I join the rabbit club?!?!

I would definately go with the ball bladder thing. It's really the same & nobody would ask any questions about the liquid stage!!

3 weeks after being banded I got food posioning & threw up over 15 times in one day. (It was disgusting!!) I was scared to death that I was making my band slip or causing some damage. The food posioning was from a local restaurant & only lasted 24 hrs. I survived & am fine. I am now 3 months out & have had no problems.

My sister suffers from depression as well & I have heard many of the very same things from her as I've read on this loop. I am very lucky in that I have not had to suffer from that. It has really irked me that Tom Cruise has come out with his outrageous ideas about medication. I truly don't think my sister would be alive today if it weren't for medication!!! I read posts like this one & feel so bad for you because I know your suffering is real. If Tom could only shut his face & stop to think about people in this world who truly need this medication to survive each minute of their lives.. Okay, just has to get that out!! No words of wisdom here, but I can tell you that we all feel for you!!!

Yesterday was a terrible, terrible day. It was one of those Calgon - Take me away days!! I just about had it with my kids, husband, the dirty house, my in-laws, my overwhelming responsibilities & life!! I didn't tell anyone where I was going, I just got in the car & took off. I had no clue where I was headed. I just went. Lo & Behold, I ended up at the IN-N-OUT Hamburger place. (One of my old time favorites & I hadn't been there since being banded.) I sware the car just drove me there!!!!!!! I ordered a Cheeseburger & a fully loaded Dr. Pepper. I have not touched a DP since surgery. (3 months ago) I also LOVE their french fries but I knew they wouldn't go down & I'd be PBing the rest of the night. I sat in my car & took a big bite of the cheeseburger & it was good!!! 2 more bites & I was getting that old familiar pain in my chest. I was so freakin' mad!! I wanted to eat the entire thing & let the food fill me up so I could just wallow in my mometary insanity. I tried one more bite & that was all I could eat. I cried & cried because I realized that I could no longer drown my sorrows in food. The Dr. Pepper was one of the best things I've had in a long time. However, after drinking half the cup, I was DONE!! I am feeling much better today & can handle my life. Looking back on yesterday, I am SOOOOO GLAD I have this band. Moments like yesterday could have caused me to go into a week long binge where I gain 10 plus pounds. But, I absoultely couldn't do it!! As much as I was mad that I couldn't finish that cheeseburger, I am very glad today. This band is truly saving my life & it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!!

Hey everyone! I'm an AZ bandster & I've been thinking of getting together a little AZ Bandster get-together. Maybe just meet at a restaurant or something. What do you think?!?! I'm not sure exactly where everyone lives, but if we held it somewhere in PHX that would probably be a central location. I'd love to meet you all!! What do you think?!?!?

Looks great Rene!! Once we achieve the 30 day goal, how do we put them on our signature line? I can't even figure out how to put my picture on!